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In order to get students to think about how this novel could apply to them and write about their own experiences, assign a writing prompt. Since they will be reading about a girl who does not understand or appreciate her own family’s traditions, they should ponder on their own family traditions. A prompt should be given along with a brief example of what kinds of things can be considered family traditions. Personal examples from the teacher solicit the most interest, but others may be used. The following prompt may be useful: What kinds of traditions does your family have? Why do you have those traditions? Do you like this tradition? Why or why not? Following this response, have students turn to their neighbor and share with one another one tradition that their family has and what their feelings are about the tradition. After students have shared with one neighbor, bring the class together for a discussion and ask students to share their family traditions with the class. This will allow students to reflect on their own experiences and participate in group learning.

Sutherland, Tammy and Shannon Temple. A Teaching Unit for The Devil’s Arithmetic: Prereading Activity. 4 Jan 2010. Docstoc, Inc. 28 Jan 2010 <http://www.docstoc.com/docs/21218344/A-Teaching-Unit-for-The-Devils-Arithmetic-By-Jane>
To give students an idea of what it would have been like to be singled out and persecuted, use a demonstration in the classroom to illustrate this. Before class, cut out a pictures of the Star of David. Randomly select a few desks and tape a star on the corner. When the students enter the classroom, explain that you will be conducting a demonstration in the first half of class, but do not explain the details. Find ways to differentiate treatment of the students who have the stars on their desk. Be careful not to antagonize students. Some ideas for treatment: have the selected students remove their shoes when the walk in the door, require the selected students to stand beside their desks, tell the selected students they are not permitted to get anything out of their bags, tell the class that everyone for the next few minutes may speak to their friends except the selected students. Through this activity, students will better understand the unfairness of discrimination. As a result, they will be better prepared to make connections in the text to their own lives and the world, both in the past and in the present.

Lerner, Stephen. Basic Jewish Vocabulary. Center for Conversion to Judaism. 28 Jan 2010 <http://www.jewishconversion.com/vocabulary.htm>
Before students begin reading The Devil’s Arithmetic, it is important that they are exposed to the specific vocabulary that will be present in the text. In order to better prepare them to understand the text, a vocabulary list with key terms specific to the Jewish culture should be assigned. Students should look up each word in the dictionary and copy down the definition. This may be best achieved by allowing small groups of students to work together. However, the motion of looking up and writing down these definitions should familiarize students more appropriately with the key terms. Following this activity, it would be helpful for the teacher to review the list and ensure that the students have a firm grasp on definitions. Furthermore, the teacher will be able to demonstrate the correct pronunciation for the words, many of which are of Hebraic origin and therefore difficult to sound out. This activity will provide students with foundational knowledge of the Jewish culture and better utilize context clues within the text.

To ensure that students are familiarized with the connotations of the Jewish vocabulary that will be present in the text, a crossword may be assigned. The crossword should be constructed with specific Jewish vocabulary that is used in the text. Furthermore, the clues to the crossword should demonstrate the correct connotation of the word as it is used in the text. While the crossword can serve to assess how well the students know the terms, the teacher should ensure that students are introduced to the vocabulary prior to the crossword activity. When the activity is completed, the teacher should review the answers with the class to ensure students are prepared to comprehend their usage in the text.

Because this text is set in the World War II during the Holocaust, it is necessary to provide the students with a proper view of the historical context. Composing a PowerPoint presentation with historical facts, photographs, and quotes is one way to do this. Students generally respond best to multiple forms of media. Therefore, teachers may choose to incorporate things such as movie clips or narratives. Overall, the students should complete the presentation with a more complete understanding of the setting during World War II and the Holocaust.

Explain the technique of foreshadowing and why it is used in literature. Emphasize to students the necessary part they have in doing ‘detective work’ to understand it. Give students a handout with the definition of foreshadowing along with the song from the last page of chapter 3.
Who asked you to be buried alive?
You know that no one forced you.
You took this madness on yourself.

Read the song aloud together, and discuss its’ relation to foreshadowing. Emphasize the need to examine how the song makes the students feel. After a discussion on their feelings after reading the song, ask students to write down what they think the song is telling them about the rest of the story. Prompt them with questions like ‘Is something going to happen to Hannah? Will it be good or bad?’ or ‘Do you think Hannah’s attitude will change by the end of the book? How?’. This will allow students to assess the text and recognize how carefully reading the clues of the author early in the book will prepare readers for events that happen later.

Explain to students that they will be creating their mid-book review. Put the students into groups of three or four, and give them a blank test with the space for 2 multiple choice questions and one short answer question. Tell the groups that they will need to make up review questions and then list the answers. If necessary, offer extra credit points to the group who comes up with the best set of questions to promote student participation. Once the students submit their questions and answers, reward the appropriate group with extra credit, and compose a mid-book review with the questions students have created. This will help students analyze what important themes they see in the novel as well as think about what things they should be taking away from reading it. Furthermore, it will give them a good idea for what things to pay attention to as they read the rest of the novel.

Assign students to write a one page essay in class about a time they were put in a new environment, like Hannah was when she travels back in time. Ask them to describe how they felt, what they did to make friends, and what they learned from the experience. Tell the students to go home and type up their essay, and then bring 3 copies of it to class the next day. In the next class, split students up into groups of three. Give the students a worksheet that directs them to read their essay aloud to their group members, and then discuss the essay. Have specific questions to guide the discussion after reading. Questions like “Why did you choose to write about this experience?” or “What would you do differently than you did the first time?” Go around to the different groups and ensure that they are participating. If needed, get involved in questioning them about their essays. This will allow them to make connections between the text and themselves, as well as improve their verbal communication skills.

In order for students to gain a better understanding of concentration camps and the conditions Hannah encounters, students will prepare a 2-page report on concentration camps. Students should be given a rubric specifying that they should have at least two sources from the internet or library where they get information. Review with students the differences between reliable and unreliable sources. They should also be asked to include at least one paragraph of personal response to the information they have found. This will serve to enhance students’ background knowledge of their book and broaden their understanding to the kinds of things Hannah experiences in the concentration camps.

Hogge, Chelsea. The Devil’s Arithmetic Vocabulary. Valley Elementary. 18 Feb 2010< http://ves6thgrade.net/Hogge/Reading/devil.htm>
To ensure that students have comprehended the vocabulary of the novel, give students a list of vocabulary words with definitions comprised from those found on the website. Explain to students that you will be playing a review game at the end of the unit, so they should study the terms. On the day of the game, review all of the definitions briefly and then begin the game. Have the students line up in three even groups, with buzzers or bells at the front. Have a list of the words, definitions, and the sentences the words appear in text. Vary questions by giving definitions for students to respond with the correct vocabulary word, or simply asking for the definition of a word. The team that wins the review game may be awarded extra free time or extra credit points. At the conclusion of the activity, students should have a better grasp on vocabulary terms and be able to identify them correctly in texts outside the novel.

Powell, Kimberly. Fifty Questions for Family History Interviews. About.com. 18 Feb 2010 <http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm>
One of the main themes of this novel is how heritage impacts the individual. Through experiencing the Holocaust, Hannah learns a great deal about herself and her heritage. Tell students that they will be learning more about how heritage impacts identity. Explain that they will find a family member, preferably a grandparent, and interview them. Compose a questionnaire from the list of questions on the website, and send it home with students to conduct their interview. Following the interview, assign students to write a one page paper of what they learned from their interview and how they believe their own heritage impacts their identity. This will provide students with a greater understanding of heritage, identity, and how it can relate to their own lives and to the lives of those around them.

In order to get students familiarized with reading and identifying themes in literature, assign them to come up with some themes from the novel. First, give an example of choosing a particular passage in the book and finding a theme within it. For example, you may use the shaving of Hannah and her friends’ hair off to demonstrate the theme of individualism and how the Nazis attempted to strip Jews of everything that made them unique. Then, divide students into groups and ask each group to choose a passage and analyze a theme that the passage demonstrates. After they have prepared their examples, have students come up in groups and present their passages and themes to the class. Ideally, students will recognize that they can do the same exercise on their own and make connections between what a story tells them and what themes the author wants to convey.

Introduce students to the film version of The Devil’s Arithmetic and discuss how literature and film differ. Then show students a few selected clips from the movie and review the text passages that the clips cover. Group students in pairs and ask them to come up with at least 1 difference between the text and film for each clip shown. Ask them to write these differences down and how these changes impact their understanding of the novel. Also ask them to consider what questions viewers of the movie might have if they had not read the book. Conclude with a class discussion on how literature and film convey themes and ideas in different ways. The purpose should be to have students comprehend the importance of viewing literature and film as very different modes of storytelling.

As students have read the novel, they should be familiar enough with the text that they can produce a creative writing piece in the style of the author. Briefly discuss with students how they felt about the ending. Then ask students how the ending impacts their view of the book as a whole. Emphasize to students that the conclusion of a novel gives meaning to the entire text. Then invite students to write what would have happened if Hannah had not taken Rivka’s place. Questions to help them write: Do you think Hannah would have been transformed back into her own time if she had not taken Rivka’s place? What things might Hannah have suffered at the concentration camps if she stayed? How would she have felt? Through this activity, students will demonstrate an understanding of how to narrate a story while incorporating their own thoughts and ideas about the novel.

Tell students that they will be creating a timeline of events that have happened in the book as far as they have read. Give the students a blank timeline with a mixed up list of significant events that have occurred in the novel. Here is a possible list of events through chapter 9.
Hannah tells her mother she is tired of remembering.
Hannah goes to Seder dinner with her family.
Hannah’s grandpa talks for a very long time.
Hannah’s brother Aaron hides the bread.
Hannah opens the door for Elijah.
Hannah has to wear a dress she does not like.
Hannah tells her friends the stories like The Wizard of Oz.
Hannah goes to the wedding of Schmuel and Fayge.
The Nazis come and tell everyone that they must come with them.
Following this activity, ask the students to identify the events that make the story exciting and interesting. Explain that this is how a plot works. Through this activity, the students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of plot construction and how some events move a story along while others simply make it interesting.